Chronicles of the Martial God’s Return - Chapter 48

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

“Remove their masks!”
Hong Won-chang’s voice rang out as he stared down at the masked figures writhing in captivity.
Part of him wanted nothing more than to drag them to the magistrate’s office and extract the truth through torture, but first—confirming their identities took precedence.
Several constables hurried forward and tore away the masks.
“Ugh!”
“What—?!”
The moment the masks came free, everyone recoiled. The faces beneath were grotesquely disfigured, clearly altered to conceal identity.
The skin hung in scorched, malformed patches; the noses had been crushed flat. No matter how hard one looked, the damage was so severe that recognition would be impossible.
Dan Woo-hyeon fell silent, as did Gwon Moo-jin.
“How could anyone do this to a person……”
Namgung So-hye clamped a hand over her mouth, trembling visibly as shock rippled through her. She’d heard tales of those dwelling in the shadow world—people who thought nothing of such brutality.
But seeing it with her own eyes was another matter entirely. She could barely force herself to look at them directly. The sight was almost unbearable.
“Who are you? Who gave the order?”
Gathering himself, Hong Won-chang pressed forward with the interrogation.
In a moment like this, he needed to be the steadiest mind present. As the one leading the constables, it was his duty.
But the prisoners kept their mouths shut, fixing Hong Won-chang with a mocking stare instead.
“Hck!”
“Stop wasting your breath. They won’t talk that way.”
Dan Woo-hyeon walked deliberately toward one of them—the one who appeared to be the leader giving orders.
He knelt, studying the bound man’s eyes, searching their depths without a word.
“You’re not from the shadow world, are you?”
“!?”
“There’s a tell. Beyond the faces—those types always carry a specific token for their work.”
Dan Woo-hyeon reached into the man’s robes and searched.
A small pill emerged from within.
Yet even seeing it, Dan Woo-hyeon’s expression didn’t waver.
“But you wouldn’t carry it so carelessly. And you knew this mission couldn’t fail—you’d only be dealing with constables, after all.”
Dan Woo-hyeon seized the man’s jaw, cutting off any attempt to look away. Then, a thin smile spreading across his face, he spoke softly.
“Your base is in Jangsa, isn’t it?”
“……!”
“Let me explain my reasoning. The rumor about the magistrate finding opium—it only spread in Jangsa.”
“Ngh……!”
Dan Woo-hyeon had deliberately told only a select few, then planted the rumor exclusively within Jangsa.
He’d departed with the opium before word could spread beyond those bounds, so other counties wouldn’t have heard anything yet.
Yet these men had attacked based on that rumor alone.
That meant Jangsa was undoubtedly their territory.
Listening to this unfold, Gwon Moo-jin, Jang Sam-tae, Hong Won-chang, and the constables all stared in stunned silence.
They were astounded by how deliberately, how methodically, he’d orchestrated it all.
He was frighteningly precise.
“One thread reveals ten. Shall I piece together the rest?”
“Ha—! I don’t know what you’re talking about. Just kill me and be done with it!”
The man thrashed in denial, but it was futile. Dan Woo-hyeon only watched his face, his eyes, and smiled mockingly.
“You came after hearing the Jangsa rumor—that’s clear. But looking at you, you’re not part of the Hao Sect’s crew. Definitely not those street vagabonds. And with martial training this systematic, you look more like an organized sect than a mere information network.”
Dan Woo-hyeon spoke while observing every shift in the man’s expression. The grotesque disfigurement made those shifts hard to read at first, but the eyes, the lips, the tremor in his body—he caught them all.
“There are shadow-dwellers out there, sure. But judging by your skill level, you don’t fit that profile at all.”
Cold sweat dripped down.
Beads of perspiration fell steadily.
Gwon Moo-jin and Namgung So-hye listened intently as the picture began to emerge piece by piece.
“So I’ve been thinking. The ones supplying opium go by the name Samdo Society. Systematic martial training, fast access to Jangsa’s rumor mill, and they’ve expanded rapidly since the Heukdo Society collapsed. That suggests they didn’t arise from one place alone. The name ‘Samdo Society’ itself—three paths joining their strength.”
“Die!”
The man’s hand shot out in a desperate strike.
He poured his final reserves of Internal Energy into a blow aimed straight at Dan Woo-hyeon’s head.
Dan Woo-hyeon simply tilted his head—a subtle shift—and the strike missed. In the same breath, his hand moved like lightning, seizing the man by the throat.
A sickening crack.
“Gack—!”
The man’s neck bent at an unnatural angle, and his body went limp.
Watching this, the constables’ faces turned ashen.
Dan Woo-hyeon rose from his seat and brushed off his hands.
Turning his head slightly, he regarded Namgung So-hye.
She would know more about the martial world than anyone present.
“Given what I’ve just said, does any place come to mind?”
“……Yes, there is.”
Namgung So-hye knitted her brows.
Based on the dead man’s behavior just moments ago, Dan Woo-hyeon’s prediction was almost certainly accurate—there was little room for doubt.
Yet the places that matched his hypothesis were exactly three in number, and they were none other than sects affiliated with the Murim Alliance.
That alone was enough to infuriate her.
‘Again…… the Alliance’s shame…… laid bare like this…….’
Namgung So-hye refused to accept it.
She had hoped this time would unfold differently from his prediction, but the situation fit too perfectly—dragging her deeper into the mire with each passing moment.
It was then that Dan Woo-hyeon’s voice cut through.
“What’s the use of sitting here? We should go.”
“You’re planning to leave this entirely in my hands?”
“And what else would you have me do?”
“The one who impersonated this man’s face surely must be in one of those three places as well, don’t you think? Besides, your prediction could be wrong, couldn’t it?”
“Hmm…….”
Dan Woo-hyeon released a short sound of consideration.
He was indeed curious.
Why had someone disguised themselves as Jang Sam-tae, and who had manufactured this vicious opium?
A thought had begun to form—perhaps they weren’t targeting Jang Sam-tae at all, but him instead.
Dan Woo-hyeon let out a dry chuckle.
“Fine, I’ll lend a hand. Just remember, there’s a price for my assistance.”
“That’s…… truly kind of you.”
Namgung So-hye exhaled with a soft sigh.
Yet this man’s skill was genuine—unquestionably so.
Weighing the time it would take for reinforcements to arrive from the Murim Alliance’s local branch against the casualties that would mount in open combat, traveling with Dan Woo-hyeon was unquestionably the wisest choice.
‘Still, I never expected him to agree so readily.’
Namgung So-hye glanced sidelong at Dan Woo-hyeon.
A man who moved by no one’s will but his own. Even as she’d made the proposal, she’d wondered if he might refuse.
It had been little more than a shot in the dark.
Yet her request had been accepted.
“Then let’s go.”
It was rather astonishing, but now was no time for further deliberation—only forward motion.

***

Gu Gak-jin.
The Sect Leader of Chilgak Sect, he chewed his lip as he regarded the others. Before him sat the two other Sect Leaders representing Jangsa, and all three bore the unmistakable marks of displeasure as they swallowed hard.
Considerable time had passed since they’d sent the youths out.
These were talents that three sects had cultivated together for precisely this task, and failure had never entered their calculations—yet this delay was deeply troubling.
“What on earth has become of them?”
“Failure is inconceivable. Let us wait a while longer.”
“Of course we know that. If they’d failed against mere constables, it would be a dogs’ errand of the highest order.”
The task itself was hardly simple—breaching the constables’ line, slaying the County Magistrate, and recovering the opium—yet those youths possessed sufficient skill to manage it.
“Keke, don’t be so impatient. These are children we’ve raised, with the special medicine I’ve provided. Be patient, and they’ll return soon enough. Have no fear.”
Chu Bang-ji.
The old man known as Chu the Malevolent pushed open the door and entered, flashing yellowed teeth in a grin.
He had deployed something special this time—a rare substance, true, but one that dramatically amplified the physical capabilities of the human body.
Given that the youths were already formidable, taking such a medicine on top of their natural prowess…
Failure became virtually impossible, and so his demeanor remained composed.
“Chu Bang-ji, it’s not that we doubt you…….”
“Hehehehe, why did you bring me to this place? Was it not to create a sect that surpasses the Eight Great Families and the Nine Sects and One Gang? Follow me in silence, and I shall fulfill your desire.”
“Ahem!”
“Cough!”
All three figures turned their heads away, stifling coughs. There was truth in what he said, after all.
By recruiting Chu Bang-ji, their sects had grown far more solid and unshakeable in the span of mere months.
They had begun to use opium to control many as though they were mere puppets, secretly addicting smaller sects and draining their wealth.
With their hands in human trafficking as well, the vast sums pouring in within half a year rivaled several times their original fortunes.
Yet even this wasn’t enough — among the drugs that Chu Bang-ji had manufactured, some could maximize physical ability itself, which meant he’d given the tiger wings to soar.
Now all they needed was a blade sharp enough to slay a dragon.
Of course, acquiring that would take time.
Each sect leader harbored grand ambitions, and none would refuse any task if it meant keeping Chu Bang-ji alive and loyal.
That was when it happened.
Crash!
A thunderous sound cut through the silence, jolting them all awake. The four exchanged glances, confusion written across their faces.
Something had shattered, unmistakably.
“What’s happening out there?”
Gu Gak-jin, the leader of the Chilgak Sect, shot to his feet with a shout.
But no one answered.
‘What in heaven’s name is this?’
He furrowed his brow and moved toward the window.
Screech!
In that instant came a sharp, cutting sound from somewhere beyond.
Those in the room went pale, rushing toward the window — and finally they saw it.
“Argh!”
A woman wielding a blade that shimmered with an icy blue light, scattering his men like leaves.
“That woman is…….”
“The Sect Leader of Fenghuang Sect! Namgung So-hye! How can she be……?”
Everything was beginning to unravel in the most unexpected way.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————